Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum for dry sensitive skin
Ascorbic Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Sodium HyaluronateHigh
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Excellent brightening and evening of skin tone for your dry and sensitive skin is provided by Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid, which offer antioxidant benefits and work synergistically with humectants like Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate dry or flaky skin.
- Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil offer emollient properties that further nourish and soften dry skin.
- The formula is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, containing no harsh or irritating ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this PM routine for your evening skincare. Start using the serum 3 times a week and increase to daily use if your skin feels comfortable.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer. This step locks in deep hydration for dry skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin using your palms. Let it absorb completely for a minute ⏱ before applying your next product.
- Since your skin is sensitive, apply the serum on completely dry skin for better tolerance and less irritation.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Always do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin reacts well.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this serum for its gentle formulation that brightens and hydrates without irritating sensitive skin. A significant number of reviewers feel the high price tag is not justified by the subtle results, with some noting they achieved similar effects with more affordable alternatives.
Highlights
Gentle on Skin Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin”
- “no stinging upon application”
- “gentle yet effective”
Very Expensive Mostly Mentioned
- “price tag is out of budget”
- “overpriced”
- “too expensive for the results”
Brightens Complexion Often Mentioned
- “skin looks brighter”
- “gives a healthy glow”
- “reduced pigmentation”
Elegant Texture Often Mentioned
- “sinks in quickly”
- “milky texture”
- “not sticky or heavy”
Hydrating & Plumping Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels softer”
- “hydrated and plump”
- “leaves face feeling supple”
Subtle/Slow Results Sometimes Noted
- “didn't do anything”
- “no major change”
- “hasn't blown me away”
Caused Breakouts Rarely Noted
- “appearance of imperfections”
- “caused small bumps”
- “minor breakout at start”
Runny Consistency Rarely Noted
- “serum is runny”
- “watery texture”
- “dispenser drips easily”
Sources: lovi.care, dermstore.com, bluemercury.com, spacenk.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum is a great fit because it uses vitamin C to brighten your skin while hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate smooth dry and flaky areas. Plant oils further nourish and soften the skin with a gentle formula that is unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid help brighten your dry and sensitive skin, while Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate hydrate dry or flaky areas. Apricot Kernel Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil further nourish and soften your skin.
What does Vitamin C do for dry sensitive skin?
Vitamin C helps brighten and smooth dry sensitive skin while reducing wrinkles and improving elasticity. It is generally well tolerated and unlikely to cause irritation when properly formulated, leaving the skin looking more radiant.
What does Aloe Vera Leaf Juice do for dry sensitive skin?
Aloe vera leaf juice helps keep dry skin hydrated and increases water content in the outer skin layer. It is unlikely to cause irritation and is well tolerated by sensitive skin, though a product for this skin type also needs soothing ingredients and barrier-repairing components like ceramides.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This treatment serum goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening helps keep your routine simple and adds extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum in your routine with retinol by applying the serum in the morning and saving your retinol for the evening. This gentle formula helps brighten your skin tone and provides hydration without harsh ingredients, making it safe to include alongside your retinoid routine.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in the evening as part of your routine for dry sensitive skin. The gentle formula is safe and unlikely to cause irritation while helping to brighten your skin.
Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin because its formula avoids harsh or irritating ingredients and is well-suited for your skin type. Reviewers rarely report breakouts from using it.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Lactobacillus Portulaca Oleracea Extract Ferment, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Apricot Kernel Oil, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract Olive Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Zinc Pca, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Glycerides, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Sodium Sulfite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sclerotium Gum, Tocopherol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.